New York Yankees rout Detroit Tigers, 10-1, to even series at 2 games apiece

Associated PressThe New York Yankees' Russell Martin reacts after scoring on a Derek Jeter double Tuesday night against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit.

By LARRY LAGE
DETROIT — Rick Porcello pitched a couple balls over the middle of the plate, and the New York Yankees took advantage.

Derek Jeter drilled one of Porcello's mistakes for a two-run double in the third inning, and Curtis Granderson crushed another for an RBI double in the fifth. New York took control early and routed the Detroit Tigers 10-1 Tuesday night to even their AL division series at two games apiece.

The Tigers had a chance to advance at home, but now they'll have try to do it on the road in a win-or-go-home game.

Game 5 is Thursday night in New York, where Detroit hopes Doug Fister will fare better than he did in the completion of the suspended opener against Ivan Nova. Fister, who was sensational for the Tigers after being acquired at the trading deadline, gave up six runs Saturday in the Yankees' 9-3 win.

It will be the first postseason series involving the Tigers that went to the maximum games since 1972, when Detroit lost at home to Oakland in Game 5 of the ALCS.

While 22-year-old Rick Porcello didn't pitch poorly for the Tigers in Game 4, he wasn't at his best.

He gave up four runs, five hits and an intentional walk over six innings, and New York broke open the game with a six-run eighth.

Detroit wasted chances to score against A.J. Burnett before he got in a groove, and the Tigers wound up hitless in four at-bats with runners in scoring position and had just four hits in the game.

After Austin Jackson walked to lead off the first, Ramon Santiago popped up a bunt to third baseman Alex Rodriguez. Miguel Cabrera was walked intentionally with two outs, and Victor Martinez walked to load the bases, but Don Kelly's fly to center was tracked down by former Tiger fan favorite Curtis Granderson.

Burnett didn't give up a hit in the second or third innings, then Victor Martinez fired up 43,527 fans at Comerica Park with a solo homer to right in the fourth inning to pull Detroit to 2-1.

Just when it seemed Detroit was building momentum with Jhonny Peralta's one-out double, Burnett silenced Detroit's bats and its fans by striking out slumping Alex Avila and Wilson Betemit.

Jackson, trying to show to show Detroit got something out of the three-team trade that sent Granderson to New York in 2009, led off the fifth with a single only to have Santiago spoil another scoring opportunity by grounding into a double play.

The Tigers' last shot to stay in the game before New York put it out of reach came in the sixth. Kelly had a two-out single, and Peralta hit a drive to left-center that looked like it was going to pull them within two runs only to have Granderson make the crowd groan by sprinting across the outfield to make a fully extended diving catch.

By the time the game was over, the stands were mostly empty on what the Motor City was hoping would be its night to roll into the AL championship series, just as Detroit did in a similar situation against New York in 2006.